Rowing wins 2021 NCAA Championship

Sunday, May 30

Sarasota, Fla.

9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET

University of Texas

NCAA Championships

05.30.2021 | Rowing

Results

The Longhorns clinched the title with a come-from-behind victory by the First Varsity Eight.

SARASOTA, Fla. – With a dramatic victory in the First Varsity Eight grand final of the 2021 NCAA Championship, No. 1 Rowing captured the first national title in program history at Nathan Benderson Park on Sunday.

The Longhorns earned 126 team points, equaling the total of Stanford and Washington and winning the national championship due to their triumph in the First Eight. The Second Varsity and the Varsity Four each finished third in their respective races, earning crucial points for the Longhorns

The University of Texas captured the 58th national team championship (54 NCAA titles) in school history. It marked the third national title during the 2020-21 academic calendar year, joining Men's Swimming and Diving and Women's Tennis. This marks the first time since 1989-90 (Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving and Women's Indoor Track and Field) that Texas has claimed three NCAA team championships in one season.

Heading into the final race of the season, Texas stood in third place in the championship standings with 60 points, trailing No. 2 Washington (66 points) and No. 3 Stanford (64 points). To win the national title, the Longhorns would need to win the grand final and have Stanford finish no better than second while Washington would need to place third or lower.

"There was no shortage of drama in the last race. I knew things had to align perfectly for us to win, but I made a conscious decision not to tell the first eight what was at stake," said Texas head coach Dave O'Neill. "I figured it was best to let them go out and do their thing, and that's exactly what they did."

With the stakes of the race high and the boats settled in for the start, lightning in the area forced an almost two-hour delay.

Once the race got underway, No. 5 Michigan jumped out in front and had a slight lead over Washington, Stanford and Texas at the 500-meter mark. At 850m, all four boats remained within 10 feet of each other until Stanford started to take control over the next 650m, leading Washington and Texas at the midway point with Texas moving into second by the 1500-meter mark.

Texas found another gear over the final 500 meters of the race, powering past Stanford down the stretch to clinch the first national championship in program history. Texas finished with a time of 6:17.387, followed by Stanford at 6:18.891 and Washington with a time of 6:21.715.

"When they started to move with 500 meters to go, I had a good feeling they were going to pull it off," O'Neill said. "The toughness, composure and teamwork that went into that sprint was fun to watch, and I'm really proud of everyone on the team. I knew Stanford was going to put up a real fight to the end and that Washington had shown great spirit, as well. I'm glad we were able to step up to the challenge and get to the line first."

In the Fours grand final, the Longhorns jumped out to an early lead and were in front at 250m. A battle quickly ensued, as Washington and Stanford pulled even with Texas at the 500-meter mark. The three boats rowed side-by-side over the next 750 meters until Washington began pulling away at around 1500m and finished with a winning time of 7:02.172. The Cardinal finished a close second at 7:03.258, while the Longhorns' time of 7:07.186 placed them third.

The clash between Texas, Washington and Stanford carried over into the II Eight Grand Final, as the three teams shuffled the top three positions throughout the race. Stanford went out in front and was followed closely by Texas at both the 500m and 1000m marks. The Huskies moved into second during the third 500m and took command over the final quarter of the race, registering a time of 6:23.232 to claim their second gold medal of the morning. Stanford earned the silver with a time of 6:24.482 and the Longhorns took the bronze with a time of 6:29.088.

"The second eight and four raced their hearts out, and put us in a position to win it," O'Neill said. "Admittedly, they were a little disappointed with the result, but we are all proud of their efforts."

Texas' win in the First Eight occurred a day after their semifinal race was delayed due to an equipment issue after the crew hit a log and lost their skeg during their warmup. The group was not deterred, coming back to win their semifinal by 4.608 seconds.

"I think the delay today worked in our favor a little in a couple of ways," O'Neill noted. "First, our team always seems to rally when there's some sort of chaos. Also, the support and send-off by the entire team were electric. It was one of the more amazing moments of team spirit I've been a part of."

The Texas I Eight closes out the year unbeaten on the season, with wins in all eight races this year.

2021 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1. TEXAS - 126
2. Stanford - 126
3. Washington - 126
4. Michigan - 108
5. Virginia - 106
6. Ohio State - 104
7. Rutgers - 96
8. Brown – 88
9. California – 83
10. Syracuse – 69
11. SMU – 68
12. Princeton – 67
13. Alabama – 55
14. Wisconsin – 55
15. Washington State – 55
16. Duke – 55
17. Tennessee – 36
18. Navy – 34
19. Northeastern – 20
20. Gonzaga – 19
21. Rhode Island – 14
22. Marist – 8

RESULTS
I Eight, Grand Final
1. TEXAS - 6:17.387
2. Stanford - 6:18.891
3. Washington - 6:21.715
4. Michigan - 6:23.437
5. Rutgers - 6:27.635
6. Virginia - 6:30.113

II Eight, Grand Final
1. Washington - 6:23.232
2. Stanford - 6:24.482
3. TEXAS - 6:29.088
4. Ohio State - 6:32.086
5. Virginia - 6:33.288
6. Michigan - 6:36.314

Fours, Grand Final
1. Washington - 7:02.172
2. Stanford - 7:03.258
3. TEXAS - 7:07.186
4. Virginia - 7:09.112
5. Ohio State - 7:14.244
6. Michigan - 7:15.716

LINEUPS
I Eight: Rachel Rane (coxswain), Kaitlin Knifton (stroke), Francesca Raggi, Alexandra Watson, Aspa Christodoulidis, Daisy Mazzio-Manson, Anna Jensen, Susanna Temming, Lisa Gutfleisch (bow)